Penguins A to Z: Evgeni Malkin can still be a dangerous player

With the Pittsburgh Penguins’ 2022-23 season coming to an end without any postseason action, the Tribune-Review will offer Penguins A to Z, a player-by-player look at all 49 individuals signed to an NHL contract — including those whose deals do not begin until next season — with the organization, from mid-level prospect Corey Andonovski to top-six winger Jason Zucker.

This series will publish every weekday leading into the NHL Draft on June 28 and 29.

(Note: All contract information courtesy of Cap Friendly.)

Evgeni Malkin

Position: Center

Shoots: Left

Age: 36

Height: 6-foot-3

Weight: 195 pounds

2022-23 NHL statistics: 82 games, 83 points (27 goals, 56 assists)

Contract: In the first year of a four-year contract with a salary cap hit of $6.1 million. Pending unrestricted free agent in the 2026 offseason.

(Note: Malkin’s contract contains a no-movement clause.)

Acquired: First-round draft pick (No. 2 overall), June 26, 2004

Last season: The 2022 offseason was unique for Evgeni Malkin.

The most notable part of his summer, of course, was his negotiations for a new contract for the first time in nine years, a process that went public and got ugly at junctures.

Perhaps the most profound aspect of his offseason was the ability to train properly for the first time in three years.

A knee injury denied him of that luxury in 2021 and the pandemic prevented him from finding an appropriate training regimen in 2020.

With the benefit of a full offseason of doing what he needed to refine his 30-something body, Malkin played a full slate of 82 games for the first time since 2008-09 (his third NHL season) and largely regained the form that made him a dangerous player.

Primarily teamed on the Penguins’ second line with Jason Zucker and Bryan Rust, Malkin managed to post 20 points (eight goals, 12 assists) in his first 19 games of the season before hitting a brief rough patch in late November in which he went four games without a point.

He shook off that skid by embarking on a nine-game scoring streak between Dec. 1-20, a season-best streak for the team.

From that point on, Malkin’s season progressed in a similar pattern. He would go a few games without any offense then erupt for a handful of points in a single game.

Malkin broke a somewhat unique — and perhaps infamous — mark for the franchise March 9 when he took an interference minor during a 4-3 home overtime loss to the New York Islanders. That infraction allowed him to surpass forward Kevin Stevens for the most penalty minutes in franchise history with 1,050. By the end of the season, Malkin had furthered his grip on that “achievement” with 1,090 penalty minutes.

The future: There’s really not much to ruminate over with regard to Malkin’s status with the franchise. Whatever direction the Penguins take in the immediate future will involve him. He is signed for another three seasons and has a no-movement clause in his contract.

As far as what he can still offer, Malkin, who turns 37 on July 31, offered a pretty compelling case as to his ability to still be a significant factor on the ice by averaging more than a point per game without the benefit of a consistent power-play unit.

He’s still prone to bad penalties and the occasional head-scratcher with regard to puck management. But that has always been part of the overall package with Malkin.

With the benefit of being healthy once again, Malkin proved he can still be a dangerous player.

Follow the Penguins all season long.